Method of cutting metal by means of gases



March 14, 1933. J. 1.. ANDERSON HETHOD 0F CUTTING METAL BY MEANS OFGASES Filed Dec. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. L. ANDERSON METHOD OFCUTTING METAL BY MEANS OF GASES March 14, 1933.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 15 1930 1 NTOR 5/ ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 14,1933 amaze;

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE urns L. summon, or many, new 3mm, assmuon noem. annucrxon ooxrm, mconromrrm, or new Yonx, 1w. 1. .0. oonronarron' ornow somemzon or corms Maren :5! ms or cases Application and December 1a,1980. Serial No. 502,096.

This invention relates to a method of out I ting metal by means of gasesand to apparatus therefor.

- The cutting of members such as those of 6 H or I cross-section is animportant application of the invention, and is the one illustratedherein. However, the invention in its broad aspect may be understood ashaving- .reference to the cutting of members which, although otherwiseof substantially uniform cross-section, have at some one or more 0-sitions in the extent thereof a web or 0t er decided increase incross-section. Such increase has under pastconditions of o rationproduced an undesirable result w en the member was cut by a jet ofoxygen gas directed at the metal to form a slot extending transverselyof the intersection of web with the body of the member bein out.

forth it has been customary to dispose the cutting jet substantiallyperpendicularly to the surface of the member; in some cases the jet haseven been directed angularly' in the direction in which the jet wasmoved, a method commonly used to counteract, to some degree, the lag ofheat conduction through the metal.

' In these operations the jet was first directed to cut through the mainportion or flange oi the memberyit was then moved transversely of theflange, and toward the intersection of the flange and the addition orweb. At such intersection the increased thickness of the metal reactedupon the jet in such manner that the face of the cut produced wasnot'even. The increasedcross- I section of the metal wouldmake thepreheating eiiect of the flame jets preceding the cutting jetsinsuficient for complete penetration by the cutting jet. The cutting jetwould continue to cut the ordinary slot as long as possible, and then,as the resistance of the increased section balked further penetration,the gases seeking an outlet would turn back upon themselves and seekescape "upwardly out of the cut and in effect envelop the jet. As canreadily be understood,

thcefiect of such gas behavior would be to 53 cause the oxygen to cutaway metal from the In cutting members 0 the character set ly thosemetallic forms in which a portion of wall of the cut in addition to thatoriginally oxidized by the direct blast Churning of the gases within thecut resulted in the formation of a cavity in the web, having dimensionsmuch-larger than those of the desired kerf, or at least caused raggedand irregular cutting into the web. Subsequent machining of the cut endof the member to the complete depth of the cavit was necessary, and thisinvolved an excessive waste (if material and time tobring the cut fsiqe.to the form required for structural work in which. such members areused.

It has also been found that the cut ng jet has had the efiect of drawingthrough he cut with itself the cold, non-combustible air gases, and insuch manner to form a'blanket around the cutting jet which would bedetrimental to continued combustion of the metal. The dead nitrogen ofthe air acted to rob the metal of heat necessary to attain the desiredtemperature of metal combustion.

lt-is an object "i this invention to provide a. method of editing metal,and especialsubstantially uniform cross-section is joined by one-or morewebs, or fins, or like enlargements or lateral extensions, in which thecutting j at is so disposed that, when it encounters an one of theintersections, the kerf will have su stantially the same formation asthat produced by the jet when cuttingfiange metal only. To accomplishthis result, the cutting jet is directed at an inclination to thesurface over which it moves reverse to the course of travel of the jetrelative to the metal surface, in other words by inclining the jetbackward. By so disposing the cutting jet, and either continuously or atthe particular time when the jet is cutting through theincreasedmetallic CI'OSSrSGCtlOIl. by discharging through the jet an excess ofthe oxidizing gas over that determined by the amount of gas necessary tocut metal of flange thickness only, and in a preferred method also byheating the metal in advance of the cutting jet to a greater degree thanwould ordinarily be necessary for efiective cutting of metal of flangethickness, the "cutting of the flange and the intersection metalmay beaccomplished quickly v scri d, nor to the specific method, as the andwithout interruption and without any undesirable cut formations. j

It is a further object of the invention to dispose preheating jets forthe cutting operation in such manner that the hydrogen envelope gasesproduced thereby will dis lace the air ordinarily drawn through the s0t, and thus rovide a combustible sheath for the cutting et which willbe efiective to heat the metal within theslot and facilitate cutting atgreat depths to which the ordinary preheatin jets would not supply thenecessary heat to acilisame may be modified in various particularswithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, oneparticular execution of which has been illustrated and described,without attem ting to show all the various forms and mo ifications bywhich the invention might be carried out.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in sec-,-

tion, illustrating in' connection with theeutting of members of Hcross-section applications of the old method and of a method embodyingthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a face of a member such as shown in Fig. 1,illustrating the cut produced by the old method;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view 'of a torch usedin applying the invention;and

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal view through the body of such'torch.

In Fig. 1 there is shown an H-column 10 sectional consisting of-a web 12and integrally formed flanges 14 and 30. In this figure an ordinarycutting torch 16 has been disposed to direct a jet 18 of oxygen at theflange 14, in the customary manner, that is, substantially perpendicularto the surface of the metal upon which it acts. it hastbeen-found thatthe penetration of heat applied to the surface of the member to be cutby the preheating jets 20lags to such extent that the cut, produced byjet 18, is substantially of the character shown in Fig. 1, that is. aout which at the point of impingement of jet 18 is substantiallyperpendicular to the surface of the flange but which ta rs oif into thecurving surface 22 and the, e edge 24 before the gas from jet 18 issuesforth from the out. This isthe normal contour of the breast of the out,where the oxygen jet is continually advancing, transversely to itself,into new metal. For the purpose of illustration the breast of the out isshown ahead of the jet,

, centuates the difliculty presented by the In the ordinary procedure ntan actual condition. When the jets arrive at the intersection of web andflange this lag acgreat- 1 increa'seddepth of metal, with the result tat the as, instead of continuously burning off the e go 24, is not onlyquite incapable of penetrating to the full epth of the web, but, inattempting to dig into the web, mere ly churns around within the cutthat has been made, and the excess of the o'xidizin gas acts to burnaway additional metal on either side of the out. A recess, such as shownat 26, is thus produced before the jet gases burst forth but of coursethis does not represe on the o%posite side of the web to continue eother part of the flange in the cutting t customary manner.

V Attempts have been made too rate with the cutting jet impingingoblique y upon the metal in the*direction of movement of the jetrelative to the metal, but this roduces even worse results in the way ofpoo eting at the web than when'the jet is perpendicular or substantiallyper endicular to the flange.

Cutting in accor ance with the invention is illustrated in connectionwith the other flange 30 of Fig. 1 and the adjoining portion of the web.The cutting is performed by a torch 32 constitutin oart of theinvention.

The torch prefera ly comprises a tip body 34 having an orifice face 36.Opening through the face 36 are a plurality of orifices 38, disposed ina single file, the number thereof being determined in accordance withthe thickness of metal to beoperated upon, the speed of cutting, andother similar factors. -Rearwardly of orifices 238, face 36 is cut outinto a plurality of recessed portions 40, forming faces 42, angularlydisposed so that orifices 44 drilled into the body of such' faces willdirect gas jets 46 at the flange 30 substantially oppositely to thedirection in which it is intended to move the torch over the flange.Orifices44 are drilled in pairs, equally spaced from the line oforifices 3 8, for the purpose hereinafter a peering.

Body 34 is formed with anot er an rly disposed face 50, the dispositionof w ich is similar to that of faces 42, and from which opens orifice52to direct a single et 54 of pure oxygen at themetal in a directionsubstantially parallel to jets 46 but along sub-- stantially the sameline of metal surface as was heated directly by from orifices 38. iGases for the jets at orifices 38 and 44 are the gas jets issuing fedthrough individual bores or drilled o nings from apassage 56 in body'34,whic is supplied with a mlxture ofvoxygen and some fuel gas, such asacetylene, under ressure, so that a "plurality of oxy-fuel gas amejetsare directed from these orifices upon the metal. The passage or chamber156 ji u plied with the mixed gases throughpa g 61, 62 f om a mixerforming part 'of-"th torch. The mixer and the conduits for leadingthegases to the mixer need not be illustrated, since such matters are wellunderstood. The cutting jet 54 is fed from anindividual' passage 60which is connected in a usual way with the oxygen supply to deliver astream of pure oxygen through this orifice.

The jets 58 from orifices 38' serve to heat directly the metal along theproposed line of cut. The burning hydrogen envelope gases from thesejets spread out over the laterally adjacent metal and serve to heat themetal, considerably spacedaway from the line of jeis, to a fairly hightemperature,

Jets 46, however, are dis osed at 'a marked distance on each side of teline of jets 58. Concentration of heat in the neighborhood of jets 46 isimportant as the jet 54 immediately follows them. The laterally spacedjets, in addition to other advantages gained, facilitate suchconcentration. Radiant heat from the inner sides of the spaced a artjets is added to the heat already put in a ong the line oi cut by thejets 58. Furthermore, jets 46 by their angular disposition bring theirvery hot side portions into moredirect con tact with the surface of themetal, without losing any substantial portion of the effect arising fromthe hot flame tip. Radiant heat from the jets is also more efiectivesince heat, radiated substantially perpendicular to the directionof thejet is brought to hear directly upon the metal surface.

Since flame jets 46 are directed toward the position at which the jet 54issuin from orifice 52 is located, the unconsumed ydrogen envelopegases, which are liberated in greater quantities because of theinability of stones herio oxygen to reach them, will be force to travelalongthe metal surface toward the point at which the cutting jet 54impinges. Afters out has been initiated by jet 54, the rush of gasproduced by this jet will be efiective to draw'into the cut 62 such:

hydrogen and carbon monoxid envelope gases as move into its pathfromjets '46. The combustion of the oxygen and these envelope gases withinthe cut produces a heat- 4 ing oi the metal in closer proximity to themetal to be burned than can be effected by jets disposed on the outersurface of the met- 81, a result especially desirable in cases of metalof great thickness since the heat created is applied iediately ascutting proceeds and immediately to the metal that is to be cut.Hydrogen, as is well-known, because of its extremely long flame, is veryeffective for the desired purpose, its flame extending well down intothe kerf, preheating the oxygen which has become chilled by itsexpansion at orifice 52. The slag formed by the cutting action ismaintained in greater fluidity than occurs by the customary methads ofoperation, since it is bathed in an atdi?osition of jets is on eitherside of the line 0 jets 54 and 58 serves also to enable jet 54 tooperate with a minimum disturbance and deflection arising from theaction of the ases moving away from 'ets 46 and, in eflect, m slighttangency with-t e side edges of the oxygen jet, a result which would notbe as efl'ectual if only a single file of jets, disposed as are jets46', were utilized. Y

7 The efiect of disposing the cutting jet 54; at a rearward inclinationis as follows: the torch moves over the surface of flange 30 and theoxygenjet is required to act upon the increased cross-section at theintersection of the flange and the weblQ, the out, which originoted inthe dan e, will continue through flange and. web, the gradual increasein the efi ective depth of the out being compensated for as thereactionproceeds. Since no barrier to continued cutting as great as thelength of the web is suddenly interposed during the cutting action, butrather a gradjet 54 should he direct-ed obliquely oppositely to thedirection of travel of the jet relative to the metal; however, the jetmay also'be dis osed at a double inclination, longitudina y andlaterally, to make an angular cut in the flange and web, that is, a cutthe faces mosphere eta. reducing gas such as hy xll rhogen.

of which are'not perpendicular to the surinvention hereof.

The rearward obliquity of the cutting jet. 54 to the face of the metal,that is to say the obliquity in the plane of movement at right face ofthe metal out-and yet embody the angles to the surface, as representedin the drawings, is to be understood as being a decided inclination, onthe order of 45, or somewhat more or less. The particular angle may bevaried in accordance with the angular relation between the flange andweb, or other parts corresponding to these, their relative thickness,and other considerations, an inclination 45 being typical. The obliqueheating jets 46 are delivered at a similar pronounced inclination,though their inclination may be made to form a lower angle with the faceof the work in order to impel their combustible envelope gases moredefinitely to the region where the cuttin jet is forming the lierf, orwith somewhat less advantage the r inclination may be made less acute.

By discharging through jet 54, either continuously, or immediately thatit comes to the intersection, a considerable excess of the oxidizinggas, cutting of the web metal may be continued, after the jet has passedbeyond the intersection, and even though such metal is no longerdirectly connected to the flange metal beingrcut and has lost theefl'ect of contime will-continue cutting the web metal to' produce akerf, continuing the original slot, made as the jet crossed the web.

In cutting beams and columns, either integral or built-up o the torchwill be moved in relation to the work, In other cases the work may bemoved past a stationary torch, in which event the inclination of thecutting jet will be in the direction of movement of the work, which isthe same thing as inclining the jet reversely to the direction ofmovement when it is the torch and not the work which is moved lOthermodifications of the process and apparatus will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A method of cuttin continuously across the flange portions 0%metallic members formed by the intersection of two plate-like portions,in which at least one of such. rtions terminates at the intersection, wch includes: directly obliquely at the flange portion a jet of anoxidizing gas in quantities greater than necessary to penetrate only themetal of said flange, eflectlng relative movement of the flange portionand the oxidizing gas jet so that the direction of the jet is o positeto the movement thereof relatlve to t e rtion, and acting on the metalof the flange in advance of such jet with an extensive series ofsuccessive preheating flame 'ets, art at least of said preheating jetsbeing irected oxidizing jet.

. of such jet with preheating 2. A method of cuttin the flange portions0 metallic members formed by the intersection of two plate-likeportions, in which at least one of such portions termintes at theintersection, which in- 'cludes: eflecting relative movement of theflange portion and an oxidizing gas jet, and

acting on the metal of the flan e in advance ame jets, the combustionproducts of which include a" combustible gas, said preheating jets beinglaterally spaced and inclined rearward so as to provide a supply of suchgas which is impelled mto the path of the oxidizing jet.

3. A method of cutting continuously across the flange portions ofmetallic members formed by the intersection of two plate-like portions,in which at least'one of such portions terminates at the intersection,which includes: directing an oxidizing gas jet obliquely at the flangeportion, effecting relative movement of the fla oxidizing gas jet sothat t c direction of the f H or I section, or the like, I

continuously across tion of portion and the jet is opposite tothemovement thereof relative to t e portion, and act' on the metal ofthe flange in advance of su jet with pre-' heating flame jets.

'4. A method of cutting continuously across a flat surface portionhaving a formation ex tending from said portion on the side obversel ofsaid flat-surface, the line of cut exten ing transversely of theintersection of said portlon and formation, which includes:

directin obliquely rearward at the flat surface of t e portion a jet ofan oxidizing gas in quantities greater than necessary to penetrate onlythe metal of said portion, and effectin relative movement of the portionand the oxidizing as jet. 1 5. A method of cutting a metallic memberalong a proposed line, in which relative motion of the member and anoxidizing jet is eflected, which includes: heating the metal of themember by means .of forward .heating. jets directed to play stantiallyin line wit the line of the out, directing a plurality of other heatingjets ohliquely rearward at the metal on each side of the previouslyheated metal, and finally subupon the metal subjectmg the metalto theaction of the oxidizmg et substantially along the initially heatedline.

relativermotion of the jets and the member is effected, the direction ofsaid oxygen 10b and part at least of said preheating jets be ing obliqueto, and in opposite direction to,

the movement of the jets relative to the memobhquely in the same generalsense as the be 7. A method of cutting a metallic member b means of anoxidizing gas et, wherein: tlie metal is preheated by a plurality offlame jets, the products of the combustion thereof including hydrogen,the oxygen jet is obliquely directed rearward at the preheated metal,said flame jets are laterally spaced and directed obliquely rearward atthe metal, and relative motion of the-jets and the member is eflected.

8. A method of cutting metallic members along a roposed line, in whichrelative moe member and an oxidizing jet is effected, which includes:heating the metal of the member by a series of forward heating jetsacting substantially in line with the line a of the cut, directing aplurality of other heat-- ing jets at the metal on each side of thepre-'- viously heatedmetal, and finally subjecting the metal to'theaction of; the oxidizing jet substantially along the initially heatedline. JAMES L. ANDERSON.

jet is directed at the preheated metal, and 19 6. A method of cutting ametallic member 5' j

